Do you feel like you're stuck in a decorating rut? Like you've been Pottery Barned to death and can't escape the Restoration Hardware? It's easy to fall victim. Why do you think they're wildly successful? These two companies alone have cornered the market on the marginally inventive, incredibly bland interior aesthetic devoured by the public from the pages of slick catalogs. Open brain. Insert idea here. Trust me. You're not alone.

Meet Evelyn -- no doubt trapped by the ideas of a society that set forth certain expectations of women in her generation. Luckily, she fought back. Choosing not to pay attention. Instead, thumbing her nose at the establishment and bucking a tradition that would have sentenced her to a lifetime of June Cleaver dresses if she allowed it. For what? The chance to be original. The opportunity to think outside the box. Or wrestle inside it. What does this have to do with decorating? Everything.

Don't be afraid to take chances. Don't let anyone put you in a box without permission. Or prize money. Not society, certainly not a PB or RH catalog. (Dear PB and RH -- Love you, mean it!) And if you find yourself in a box, decorating or otherwise -- fight your way out. Evelyn did. Ruts suck. In life AND in decorating!Consider this: Evelyn and her friends make interesting wall art. Not to mention excellent conversation pieces. Entertaining is easy when you have walls that speak for you. Think about your own collection of photographs and memorabillia and how you can incorporate them into your decor for an interior that is both interesting and original. And not availabe in a catalog.